Tuesday, October 18.
We left the cow farm and drove to San Sabastian. We left a bit late so we were rushing to get to the Hertz drop off by noon. Of course, check out with Maria was a slooooooow process. Then we got stuck in a traffic slow down due to an accident. Then we had to find a gas station. But we still managed to get the car in by 12:09. Go team! Now we had to carry our bags. CARRY OUR BAGS! With cider, and cheese, and platters and more. Who can I blame for this abomination!
We weren't staying in San Sabastian but we were booked for a train for 6pm to our next town, Biarritz. So we stored our bags at the station so we could wander around San Sabastian. It is right on the ocean with two huge beaches, one for lounging and one for surfing.
But first we had lunch. They have the best lunch tradition here EVER! Pintxos. These are tapas but they are just stacked up on the counter and you walk around with your plate and pile them on. Kind of like self serve Spanish Dim Sum. I had had it with ham and it's endless ham varieties so I stuck with seafood. I cannot overstress how delicious this was. It was my second favourite meal on this trip, only surpassed by the meal in Lyon.
Then of course, we wandered. We walked around town and to the beach and then around the seawall.
We made it back to the bus station and got our bus to Biarritz, just across the border in France. France is a little more on top of security. Our bus got boarded by border control and several people got lectured on travelling without their passports. Not us though.
The bus dropped us at the airport and we hopped in a cab to our hotel. The cab drivers all huddled together to chuckle about our destination but wouldn't tell us why. It only took a couple of minutes and 10 euro to find out why. Our hotel was about a five minute walk from the door of the airport. Thanks, jerk.
We didn't need dinner after our big lunch and an undocumented snack. We spent the evening repacking so we would be allowed on a plane.
Wednesday, Oct 19.
The next morning, we walked to the airport (heavy bags and all). Uneventful flight to Paris. We decided since we had 6 + hours, we would store out bags at the airport and then take the train into Paris to spend our last day shopping and eating and wandering. Alisma looked up some neighbourhoods with markets open.
The first market had a cheese stand (they all have cheese stands) and I bought three more kinds. Basically, we wandered the streets of Paris and bought cheese and chocolate and ate until it started raining sometime after 5 so we jumped back on the train and headed to our hotel.
Our last meals in Paris:
Then it started to rain so we ducked into a shop for some tea but the desserts were so increadable, that we had to have some. Here are THREE photos of my dessert, a white chocolate dome with rose on top.
I only took two non-food photos all day, here they are:
And now we are in our hotel room. Alisma is packing (we are still total advocates of the cube system) and I am finishing up the blog as I will be home tomorrow. Unbelievably, we are eating some turkish delight Alisma bought at the Medieval fair in Santiago. I can't believe how much sugar I have had today. See you tomorrow if I don't die of sugar shock in the night.
We left the cow farm and drove to San Sabastian. We left a bit late so we were rushing to get to the Hertz drop off by noon. Of course, check out with Maria was a slooooooow process. Then we got stuck in a traffic slow down due to an accident. Then we had to find a gas station. But we still managed to get the car in by 12:09. Go team! Now we had to carry our bags. CARRY OUR BAGS! With cider, and cheese, and platters and more. Who can I blame for this abomination!
We weren't staying in San Sabastian but we were booked for a train for 6pm to our next town, Biarritz. So we stored our bags at the station so we could wander around San Sabastian. It is right on the ocean with two huge beaches, one for lounging and one for surfing.
But first we had lunch. They have the best lunch tradition here EVER! Pintxos. These are tapas but they are just stacked up on the counter and you walk around with your plate and pile them on. Kind of like self serve Spanish Dim Sum. I had had it with ham and it's endless ham varieties so I stuck with seafood. I cannot overstress how delicious this was. It was my second favourite meal on this trip, only surpassed by the meal in Lyon.
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| My plate, clockwise from bottom left: Prawns, chicken dumplings, octopus in paprika?, prawn foam on bagette, oyster mushroom with goat cheese, mussels in a spicy sauce, chicken wing |
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| Alisma's plate, chicken wings twice, omelette with potato, cheese on bagette, chinese dumplings |
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| The counter |
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| So much to choose from |
Then of course, we wandered. We walked around town and to the beach and then around the seawall.
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| top of a lamp post |
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| Jesus says hi. |
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| A terrible photo of the seawall |
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| A sculpture on the seawall |
We made it back to the bus station and got our bus to Biarritz, just across the border in France. France is a little more on top of security. Our bus got boarded by border control and several people got lectured on travelling without their passports. Not us though.
The bus dropped us at the airport and we hopped in a cab to our hotel. The cab drivers all huddled together to chuckle about our destination but wouldn't tell us why. It only took a couple of minutes and 10 euro to find out why. Our hotel was about a five minute walk from the door of the airport. Thanks, jerk.
We didn't need dinner after our big lunch and an undocumented snack. We spent the evening repacking so we would be allowed on a plane.
Wednesday, Oct 19.
The next morning, we walked to the airport (heavy bags and all). Uneventful flight to Paris. We decided since we had 6 + hours, we would store out bags at the airport and then take the train into Paris to spend our last day shopping and eating and wandering. Alisma looked up some neighbourhoods with markets open.
The first market had a cheese stand (they all have cheese stands) and I bought three more kinds. Basically, we wandered the streets of Paris and bought cheese and chocolate and ate until it started raining sometime after 5 so we jumped back on the train and headed to our hotel.
Our last meals in Paris:
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| We went back to that Greek place. This is hummus & Tzatziki, I forgot to take a picture of the souvlaki |
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| Unbelievable! |
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| The full table, Alisma had the raspberry tart with an almond pastry and cream under all of berries |
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| And then, inside was more chocolate! |
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| Paris: little dog waits at cheese shop |
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| Raining. We were hiding under an awning |
And now we are in our hotel room. Alisma is packing (we are still total advocates of the cube system) and I am finishing up the blog as I will be home tomorrow. Unbelievably, we are eating some turkish delight Alisma bought at the Medieval fair in Santiago. I can't believe how much sugar I have had today. See you tomorrow if I don't die of sugar shock in the night.
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